Ready to Buy Your First Apartment? Here’s What You Can Afford

February 10, 2021 | By Stella M AuthorMy First Apartment

According to a recent study, 32.6% of Americans rent their homes, whereas 67.4% of American adults own their homes. These numbers reflect that homeownership has been increasing over the past few years, especially outside metropolitan areas and in the Midwest. If you want to become a homeowner but don’t want to commit to a full…

How Can You Get COVID-19 Rent or Mortgage Relief?

May 12, 2020 | By Stella M AuthorMy First Apartment

During the two months of the COVID-19 pandemic, stay-at-home orders necessary for public health and safety have resulted in massive unemployment, in turn affecting apartment renters’ and owners’ budgets. Rent and mortgage payments become considerably tougher to pay without income, and though there were some federal interventions to delay evictions and foreclosures at the start…

How Is COVID-19 Affecting Mortgages?

April 15, 2020 | By Stella M AuthorMy First Apartment

The COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc on Americans’ ability to afford their basic monthly expenses. Many Americans who own their apartments have had to contact their mortgage loan servicers to discuss alternative options, and people who were looking to buy apartments as the pandemic upended everyday life have faced their fair share of obstacles, too.…

How Does the Coronavirus Stimulus Package Address Mortgage Relief?

April 2, 2020 | By Stella M AuthorMy First Apartment

On March 27, President Trump signed a $2 trillion coronavirus stimulus package that provides financial relief for individuals, small businesses, state and local governments, and other entities. Included in the package are significant mortgage relief options for apartment owners who are at least temporarily unable to make their usual monthly payments. Here’s everything you need…

What If I Can’t Pay My Rent or Mortgage Due to Coronavirus?

March 25, 2020 | By Stella M AuthorMy First Apartment

Over the past two weeks, the COVID-19 pandemic has at least temporarily shuttered a wide variety of small businesses, especially those in the restaurant, nightlife, hospitality, beauty, and entertainment industries. In turn, millions of people have been left with no source of income, and if you’re one of these people, you might be struggling to…

Should You Rent-to-Own or Just Rent? Pros and Cons

December 16, 2019 | By Stella M AuthorMy First Apartment

To some people eager to own their first apartment, it may seem like there’s no easy purchase option without putting down cash or getting a mortgage. Rent-to-own apartments offer a solution. At the end of an apartment rental lease, the tenant has the option to buy the apartment for a predetermined price fixed in the…

Credit Score Traps – And How to Avoid Them

October 18, 2012 | By Alissa AuthorMy First Apartment

What can affect your credit score? You may be surprised. Of course, delinquent payments ding it, but even if you have been a completely reliable consumer and paid every single bill, there are still other traps that can adversely affect your credit score. Alex and I learned this when we recently decided to look for a condo and…